NEWS10 October 2012
UK— The coming big data revolution will not do away with the need for research, according to Clive Humby, founder of the data analytics firm Dunnhumby.
Humby, a newly named patron of the Market Research Society, said that the analysis of very large data sets should be complementary to research.
“Data is about ‘how many’ and ‘how much’, whereas research is about ‘why’ – you have to join it all up,” he said.
“There is going to be a revolution in big data as a whole host of data sources come on stream, but none of it answers the question ‘why’.”
Humby was speaking at the launch last night of ‘The Business of Evidence’ report, produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers on behalf of the Market Research Society.
The report estimates that research contributes up to £3bn to the UK economy.